Henry Ernest Wright

Served with River Colne Police - Colchester Borough and died on August 1, 1899.

Police Constable Henry Wright was 21 years old when he left his home town of Lowestoft to join the River Police at Colchester. He had only been in the force for about three months, but was already regarded as a young and promising officer who was shortly to be married. It was a rule of the River Police that every officer should be a good swimmer, and officers were allowed to bathe on duty if there was nothing else to do.

On Tuesday 1 August 1899 Henry Wright failed to hand over his patrol boat at the end of his shift at 5pm. Eventually a search was started, and the boat was found at the mouth of Pyefleet Creek with Henry Wright's uniform in it; his body was found two days later. The coroner brought in a verdict of accidental death.